Lever-style voting machines extended through 2014

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School districts, villages and other special election districts can continue to use lever-style voting machines through 2014, under a law signed Thursday by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. The measure was sponsored by two Long Island lawmakers, Sen. Jack Martins (R-Mineola) and Assemb. Michelle Schimel (D-Great Neck). In a memo supporting the bill, the lawmakers said they’ve heard from numerous schools boards...

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School districts, villages and other special election districts can continue to use lever-style voting machines through 2014, under a law signed Thursday by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

The measure was sponsored by two Long Island lawmakers, Sen. Jack Martins (R-Mineola) and Assemb. Michelle Schimel (D-Great Neck).

In a memo supporting the bill, the lawmakers said they’ve heard from numerous schools boards and village boards that switching to optical-scan paper ballots is “prohibitive in both cost and practicality.” The new law allows those districts that hold elections that occur separately from federal elections to continue to use the old-style machines until Dec. 31, 2014.